Should You Hire a Digital Marketing Consultant Right Now? Maybe Not.

When it comes to digital marketing, many times it's a very "chicken and the egg" scenario: I need to market to make people aware of my business and make more money BUT I don't have the money to market my business.

I have these conversations almost weekly with prospective clients and because I'm a small business that helps small businesses...I completely understand where they're coming from. That's why I never try to talk a business owner into services they don't need.

Last week I was on a call with a professional in the mortgage industry who I would LOVE to have as a client; she has amazing energy and it would be so fun to market her business. However, she's a little nervous about taking on the expense of digital marketing right now.

"I don't know what the real estate business is going to do during the next month," she said. "So, I'm not quite as sure about my income as I've been in the past."

Hers is just one of the many industries out there that has been flipped on its side because of the rules surrounding COVID-19. Many things are uncertain right now for her, which allowed me to provide her with a simple answer: DO NOTHING.

Well, not nothing. There are some things she can do during the next month or so while we wait out the next stage of the pandemic (I'll get to that in a minute), but because of what's going on right now...it actually might not be the best time to take on an extra expense.

But as I just mentioned, there ARE things she can do while we get through this next month or so. And these things are extremely important and will allow us to get a running start at her marketing when the time is right.

Start Creating Content

Just because you're not ready to market the content, doesn't mean you can't start creating it. And how fabulous will it be that when you ARE ready to market it...you could have the next few months of content DONE??? All you'll have to do is send it to me and we'll get it going.

Make Sure Your Accounts Are Ready

Get all of your passwords and usernames organized for all of your platforms. I can't tell you how much time is usually wasted when I start working with a new client, just trying to get all of their log in information.

Keep Brainstorming

Keep a running list on your phone, computer, wherever of the questions you've been asked by clients lately or the issues you're consistently facing. Just keep a digital brainstorming session going so that you have lots to choose from when the time is right. Also consider issues that other professionals in your industry might be facing. Those types of pieces make great Linked In articles and establish you as an expert.

Remember that digital marketing does NOT have to be expensive - it just takes time. That's why companies hire people like me to do it for them. And it's not an "all or nothing" game. If you don't have time to be active on three different platforms, just choose one and check in there on a regular basis.